Day 84 Yellowstone National Park
Trip Start
May 07, 2008
1
91
205
Trip End
Nov 22, 2008
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West Yellowstone,
Montana,
United States
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Well today we left the camping ground at around 9 am to explore the famous Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. We entered by the West Entrance and again our annual pass saved us $25 and allowed us to go into the park via the express lane. Almost immediately we seen an eagle and it's nest but as we have many photographs of these magnificent birds we left the photographing to the other tourists that had stopped along the road side. Our first stop along the way was a geyser named "Fountain Paint Pot" followed, by a "missed stop" called middle Geyser. (we passed the turn in point before we realized. Onto Upper Geyser basin and some small geysers and hot pool bubbles with different colourings.
From here we moved on to the infamous "Old Faithful geyser" this has many myths surrounding about the frequency and times of eruptions and if it has slowed or become lower etc over the years. There is a free paper that clears the myths from fact, the facts are the geyser erupts any time with an "average wait period" of 90 minutes, so some where between 45 to 120 mins is a wait period.
We asked a few people sitting watching it when the last blow occurred. We were told 11:30am, it was now 11:40am, a decision was made to eat lunch and then head back to sit on the benches around the geyser. (no kidding they have two rows of bench seats for about ¼ the way around at a distance of around 50- 60 metres back from the geyser) as well as a wide boardwalk.
We head into the cafeteria, and again we are given another new experience, there is a map giving a guideline as to the option lines or queues to take for what food you choose.
A contrast of Hot and cool running water
EG: one line for hot dogs another for hot meals or other choices.This separated the travellers because two chose hotdogs and the third chose "buffalo meatloaf" no prizes as to who chose what!
Well everything went well f "mostly until "Karon returned with 1 hotdog and some wedges, and "suggested" we "don't ask about her experience"
Well of course boys being boys had to ask!
The girl serving the hot dogs was unable to speak English nor understand it either, Karon asked for 2 hot dogs about 3-4 times. The girl served one and said in her broken English, "That is the last one" and she asked out the back for more to be made, Karon asked for wedges and received ONE wedge! Had to ask again and then line up for the paying process. (It appears that it must be cheaper to import labour that cannot speak American!)
Lunch done and head out to watch for the Infamous Old Faithful. Rick headed down for a front row seat (naturally) and Earnie and Karon hung back from a distance. We waited and waited and a few (around 7 misfires and around 1 hour 42 minutes from the last blow, "there she blows!" it was a great spectacle and it lasted for quite a time as it gave different heights and displays before it slowly disappeared to build itself pressure to blow again sometime later.
The Travellers three had decided we had had our share and headed with the other approx 3-5000 people to their cars, motorbikes, pushbikes, RV's and different forms of transportation to head further around the park or out depending on the choice each made.
We planned to continue our circle of the Lower segment of the Park and back to West Yellowstone.
This proved to be a bigger challenge than we could handle, we viewed another geyser/hot pool area near Lake Yellowstone and headed off to home.
We were turned off our route by the rangers, a fire smoke we had noticed earlier had grown larger as we drove this way, we can only assume we had driven towards this blaze, we were given no explanation as to the closure of the road, we U-turned and returned the way we came, a stop for a cuppa then home.
We had a few glimpses of some elk on our way back but the only thing up to reputation for this park is Old Faithful, all the travellers have visited Rotorua New Zealand and agreed the geological and thermal activity in there far surpass what we observed in Yellowstone, and the facilities(washrooms/toilets) were not adequate for the number of visitors, as well ,and in our opinion rather antiquated.
Are they Contemplating a swim?
(Dry, long drop toilets with no hand cleaning facilities) for a Famous National Park that reputedly has up to 30,000 visitors per day in the high season, it is felt they could cater for them a little better. We kid you not, at the first viewing of hot pools etc(Painted pot) there were only 2 unisex long drops, and everyone was queuing for the "privilege").Maybe we have been spoilt on our travels with the wildlife we have viewed but the adverts suggest bison and plenty of other species to view.
Never mind we will revisit and head to the "upper "portion tomorrow and maybe that is where the wildlife "hide".
